2023 6 Hours of Imola: Free Practice 1 Summary

Ferrari’s strong performance from the Prologue carried over into Free Practice 1 at the 6 Hours of Imola, with Robert Kubica piloting the #83 Ferrari to a session-best time of 1:31.739 on soft Michelin tires.

The Hypercar category saw notable tire strategy experimentation. Kubica’s time placed him ahead of the #50 Ferrari, driven by Antonio Fuoco, who finished just 0.023 seconds off the pace. Antonio Giovinazzi in the #51 Ferrari rounded out the top three with a time of 1:31.982. Will Stevens in the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series R delivered a competitive 1:32.183, securing fourth place, with both Peugeot entries completing the top five.

Genesis Magma Racing, making its debut as a factory team in the WEC, had a commendable outing, with both GMR-001 vehicles finishing within two seconds of the leading Ferrari while completing over 45 laps. The #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie, run by the Heart of Racing team, finished 16th after completing 40 laps.

In the LMGT3 class, Racing Team Turkey’s Corvette led with a 1:42.678 from Charlie Eastwood, nearly two-tenths quicker than the competition. The #58 McLaren from Garage 59 and the #27 Aston Martin followed in second and third, respectively, with the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari securing fourth.

The session maintained a mostly clean slate, with only a single Full Course Yellow caused by a collision between Darren Leung’s #32 WRT BMW and Rui Andrade’s #61 Mercedes-AMG. Andrade received a reprimand for the incident. Antares Au also had a minor off track in the #10 Garage 59 McLaren but resumed without significant delay.

Free Practice 2 is scheduled to begin at 15:15 local time.

Results Overview

• Hypercar Class:

  1. 83 Ferrari – 1:31.739 (Robert Kubica)

  2. 50 Ferrari – 1:31.762 (Antonio Fuoco)

  3. 51 Ferrari – 1:31.982 (Antonio Giovinazzi)

  4. 12 Cadillac – 1:32.183 (Will Stevens)

  5. Peugeots rounded out the top five.

• LMGT3 Class:

  1. Corvette – 1:42.678 (Charlie Eastwood)

  2. 58 McLaren (Garage 59)

  3. 27 Aston Martin

  4. 21 Ferrari (Vista AF Corse)

For further updates, please check back after Free Practice 2.